Here is a collection of sci-fi illustrations by the prolific Shigeru Komatsuzaki (1915-2001), whose fantastic work appeared on plastic model kit boxes and in magazines and picture books in the 1960s to 1970s. Click the "+" under each image for a larger view.

108 Comments

Steve

I don't get how someone like this gets popular. I find his images outlandish and kiddish. Like someone drew them in kindergarten. Everything is oversized or has rockets, very unnatural and no real though behind them.

Steve

Steve's grabby Hands

Steve's uncle

"Kiddish" Are you trying to say his images look childish, or are you saying that they look like the art of Captain William Kidd: to the best of my knowledge Kidd was not an artist, and was dead long before these images were even thought about. Or are you trying to say they look Kurdish: these people's art is all non-representational. Kiddish is not a word!
These type of paintings were produced in a matter of hours; most people today don't have that skill. Yes, there may be some perspective problems, in a few, but show me a graphic artist today that could do the same without the aid of a computer. These kind of images would take hours and hours of rendering; or if you use something like Photoshop, just to paint it, that's even more time.
Learn something about graphic art before you dish out harsh criticisms; please!

Steve's Ex

Steve, I can't believe you would say those things about Shigeru Komatsuzaki. Now the whole internet is mad at you. We have to break up.

I...I always thought you loved my outlandish, kiddish mannerisms and my oversized rockets, but I can see that I was wrong. I don't know where the magic went, but maybe I'll
find more of it with someone who knows how kindergarten art looks.

Therapists Boss

Steve's Kindergarten Teacher

Steve, I just went through my old files from previous years and pulled out some of your works. You finger painted larger rockets - and far more kiddish. How can you not appreciate Shigeru Komatsuzaki? I am a failure as a teacher.

Steve's Brother

Dude, bro. Like, don't be a douche bro! Take the high road on this, dude, bro! What you need, another noogie? Want me to fart on your head while you sleep again? Bro, dude! Listen chill out, man. God, you're such a scrote!

James

I think you answered your own question there- his images are outlandish and kiddish, and has oversized rockets. I think a lot of people (myself included) find more allure in this sort of nostalgia and childishness than aversion to the unreallness.

milK

As much as I disagree with Steve's irrational comments, saying that if someone is not an artist themselves they are not allowed to place critisism on someone/something is absurd. Everyone is entitled to their opinion if they have decent arguments. And besides that do you really think that all book/movie/art critics are great at the subject they review?

Max

So a company comes to you, the artist, and says "we have these toys we would like to sell to children, please make artwork that will sell these toys." Do you, the artist, say

A. I'm going to make something very rational and aimed at adults.
or
B. I'm going to use my training in perspective, color theory and composition to try and match the imagination of a child.

I understand these may not suit everyone's taste, but if not one image in this entire series stirs anything in your heart, you have lost touch with the thrill of grabbing a toy in each hand and smashing them at each other in an epic battle in the theatre of your imagination.

jess

Franz

This Guy is absolute cult in japan. I have been to an exhibition of his works in a gallery in harajuka last year. I like the level of detail in his works (esp. in some displays of "historical" works not shown here).
The thing i liked most about his work was that though it seemed western on first sight after looking deeeper you can see how different it is from typical american pulp scifi/fantasy art of the time.
I uploaded a few pics i did there last year:http://www.flickr.com/photos/franzschuier/sets/72157622527141663/

ron

That's awesome ! Thanks a lot for sharing !
I noticed that some illustrations are actually use for the CD covers of the Mix-up compilations by Takkyu Ishino, Ken Ishii and Fumiya Takana : http://j.imagehost.org/0585/mixups.jpg

Kman

Really, I agree with Steve. These drawings are generally of pretty low quality and lacking imagination. However, I suppose if you were a kid when these types of products were being offered, then you might enjoy them for the nostalgia. But really, most of those images shown above were messy and poorly drawn...

Mike

You guys, any criticisms of this artwork is overruled by the fact that there is artwork portraying a giant robot shooting what appears to be fire at a dinosaur. This is the new standard in awesome for me.

Naoto

Rober

These illustrations are in no way sloppy or poorly drawn. Try drawing something like this with a box of markers. (At least I'm pretty sure it's markers.) Take a look at your stick figures, then consider that you may have been comparing 1960's illustration to 2010 CGI.

Daniel

@ steve... you want to tell me if something is oversized and unnatural it's no art... travel back couple years in time and say it straight to salvador dalis face! surrealism is a strong art movement. and btw. you should consider the historical context of the japanese toy and movie develelopment after WW2. Godzilla was a reaction of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. that was 1952. people like ... people copy! simple as that.
nevertheless this is awsome art!

I really appreciate these drawings. They have a western feel to them,
yet sooo retro Japanese sci-fi... I think this artist was inspired
by the classic Thunderbirds tv show from the '60s, and also by the
vintage Japanese toys manufactured by Bandai back in the day.
My favorites are all the robot drawings, especially "Attack Boy".
Great work there, Shigeru, keep them coming! *^__^*

Sci-fi fan

Shigeru Komatsuzaki is not known to be good at Sci-fi art only, military mechanics (especially WW2 era) too.
In Japan, the series of Battle Ship Yamato are known as his master piece.
You can find some of them athttp://www.artcafe.co.jp/artist_index/komatsuzaki_1.html
Thumnails are so small though...

Zet

I saw a small exhibit of his work 2 years ago in an expensive shopping district near the harajuko (sp?) (first visit to Jp) I was charmed as heck!

Armchair art critics should take note that a lot of the designs were made to be printed
on inexpensive toy boxes, some 50 years ago, using bright process colors, sloppy color registration, on cardboard...

He was really up on era sci-fi illustration too: Check out the nebula effect in Thunderbird 3 - mmmm.. homage to Kelly Freas (GIYF).

Paolo

These are representative of an era in commercial art work. Everything from that time looked similar, and it was cutting edge. Next you're going to complain that GI Joe cartoons look outlandish and silly.

What is amazing is that these images inspired our current scientists, engineers and artists to push the boundaries of knowledge even further.

Look at the "Undersea Super Tunnel" and then compare it to the Chunnel, or his "Mobile Marine Airport" and compare it to what Hong Kong did to build their new airport. Even some of his attack vehicles look strikingly similar to the US Striker, and his space train looks like a predecessor for the current space elevator designs.

The Internet

Mr. Krane

Imaginative and colorful, Komatsuzakia's work is a direct hit for the market it was intended. Many of these paintings are amazingly rich in detail, some are just wonderful silly images of goofy robots. Relax and enjoy the ride!

Richard

Thunderbirds...U.F.O....a conceptual "robbie the robot" that far surpasses the original...and a robot breathing fire on a freaking dinosaur.
So far beyond awesome that awesome seems merely nice by comparison. What an artist! :D

steve's boyfriend bob

Revolutionary compatriot of Steve

I got your back on this one. Art it dumb, and so are robots. Combine the two and you get a huge waste of time! I feel like this website owes me 25 minutes of my life back!? I could have been standing in line at the DMV, or something equally awesome.

Yuriy

A R

ah...welll....among many other things, we got a space subway, an earthquake that truly destroys everything, as mentioned above - a robot firing at a dinosaur, a Titanic ship in the midst of a crumbling city on fire with citizens safe(?) inside the highway rescue boat, varoious totally super futuristic vehicles swirling in space or in the deep blue sea exhibiting strange shine & glow effects - before this artist, both Einstein and da Vinci crumbles, I tell you.

DENNY

If you don't remember the original Rock'Em-Sock'Em Robots toy and the like, you're not old enough to appreciate the effect these fantastic images had on young kids who opened their presents to see a piece of a magnificent and strange new world just waiting to be assembled. It cannot be described....it must be experienced. I'm saddened to see that there are no images anywhere today that could, even remotely, stir that magnitude of excitement with a picture alone. Saddened because folks like Steve have not even an inkling of what they've missed, and will laugh at the idea that they've missed anything at all. But many of us DO know, and smile a sad and wistful smile for their loss.

Steve's Right Hand

Cyber police man

All of you who have posted negative comments and/or reviews, Steve included, have been reported to me and are being backtraced and sooner than later you'll be behind bars.
You know what?
Consequences will never be the same!!!

Steve's Balls

Steve's Priest

Now, Steve! You know it is wrong to lie. You must come to confession. After that, we can have our usual game of my "huge rocket" landing in your "secret cavern" hidden between your two round, firm, sweet hillocks.

No, Steve....I've told you before....it's not a sin because I'm a priest.

Steve's Brain on Acid

Ermilee

Dear Ermilee,
You ask who is steve?
this is no easy question to answer, many have tried to define before.
simply put, he is an anonymous person.
but he is single, and may need your help!
after being deserted by his mom, dad, grabby hands, uncle, neighbour, ex, therapist, kindergarten teacher, brother, sister, colon, inner child, best friend, evil twin, step father, dog, son, lawyer, penis, brain and many many more, he decided to dedicate the rest of his remaining life to recycle bullshit.
on so he lives on..
in our screen

Steve's Counterpart from an Alternate Universe

Wow! Who cared predict my awful baseness here?! And that the comment thread has grown in length so long in time from when it birthed itself?! I am amazèd by the arty works, and also by the lack of culture I, in this partic'lar spur of th'multiverse, did so display so many months ago.

(And yes, in th'world of my origin, we always drop some blank verse on command.)

sci-fi fan

Steve's Next Life

So, yeah, went and offed myself after my brain, balls, penis, and heart left with my priest, my sister, and the ghost of my cat. A few years roll by, I get myself reincarnated as a 3 story tall crayon drawing of a giant bat-winged robot shooting missiles that breath out flaming dinosaurs. This is so much better than my last existence, I am positively red in the face now. I apologize Internet.